Pletcher hoping for grand finale from Verrazano

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin could not be more pleased with the dual Grade 1

winner, who added the Woodward to his resume two starts back at his beloved

Saratoga.

"The Woodward (in the slop) was the best race of his life; everything went

well for him. He broke well and everything went perfectly," he said. "He's doing

very well and is happy, so we hope he runs well. We were looking for a little

rain and that sure wouldn't have hurt."

Joe Bravo rode Alpha for the first time in his last race, a sixth in the

Jockey Club Gold Cup, and gets the return call.

"Joe learned a little bit about him, so now he feels he knows him and that

could help a little bit," McLaughlin said. "Johnny (Velazquez) would have been

our first choice but he was already taken (for Verrazano). But Joe is good in

the gate, he's good out of the gate, and he's a smart rider so we're pleased.

We've got to break right and be in the right spot, but we don't know yet what

that's going to be. We'll leave it up to Joe to work it out."

Pool Play, who runs in Friday's Marathon, is a feast-or-famine type, as

trainer Mark Casse admitted.

"Honestly, I just never know when he's going to show up or when he doesn't,"

Casse said. "When he shows up he's good, when he doesn't he's not. I really

don't know what kind of mood he's in."

It was pointed out that the eight-year-old millionaire is the most senior of

all of this year's Breeders' Cup contenders.

"Really? Well, we know we're going to win something -- oldest," Casse said

with a smile.

Casse has saddled 15 previous Breeders' Cup horses and is looking for his

first victory.

Marathon rival Old Time Hockey arouses curiosity about his name.

"We're big time hockey fans from Chicago," Glen Hill Farm President Craig

Bernick said. "'Old time hockey' is one of the famous and great lines from the

movie 'Slapshot' with Paul Newman.

"We love the (Chicago) Blackhawks, and the year this colt was born was the

same year they won the Stanley Cup (in 2010 after a 49-year draught). He was one

of our best colts that year, and since I always wanted to name a horse Old Time

Hockey, he was the one."

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